Advanced settings for File Search keywords

[martinelizardo]

I would love to see a button for setting advanced preferences for the File Search keywords like "open" and "find". I prefer to keep the primary Alfred search limited to applications and I like to use "open" to find documents. However, when I use the keyword "open," everything comes up. The results are flooded with support files for applications and all other kinds of files I would never search for. 

 

I would love to see a feature where you could specify what kind of files you would like to see when you use those keywords, just like you can for the primary Alfred search with the Essentials and Extras options. A less robust alternative would be to add more file types to exclude from the File Search. I'm able to find documents much quicker through the Alfred search when the "Documents" box is checked than I am when I use the "open" keyword. I'd love for that same fast search to be available using keywords.

 

All in all, I love the app. I just wanted to give a little feedback about a feature I'd like to have. Thanks so much.

[Tyler Eich]

I would love to see a button for setting advanced preferences for the File Search keywords like "open" and "find". I prefer to keep the primary Alfred search limited to applications and I like to use "open" to find documents. However, when I use the keyword "open," everything comes up. The results are flooded with support files for applications and all other kinds of files I would never search for. 

 

I would love to see a feature where you could specify what kind of files you would like to see when you use those keywords, just like you can for the primary Alfred search with the Essentials and Extras options. A less robust alternative would be to add more file types to exclude from the File Search. I'm able to find documents much quicker through the Alfred search when the "Documents" box is checked than I am when I use the "open" keyword. I'd love for that same fast search to be available using keywords.

 

All in all, I love the app. I just wanted to give a little feedback about a feature I'd like to have. Thanks so much.

 

If you make a workflow with a File Filter, you can specify what kind of files you want to search and where you want to find them. You can then, for example, use the keyword 'docs' to find document files.

 

Cheers

[martinelizardo]

If you make a workflow with a File Filter, you can specify what kind of files you want to search and where you want to find them. You can then, for example, use the keyword 'docs' to find document files.

 

Cheers

 

Wow! That's great. Thanks for the tip. Alfred just gets better and better. 

[martinelizardo]

If you make a workflow with a File Filter, you can specify what kind of files you want to search and where you want to find them. You can then, for example, use the keyword 'docs' to find document files.

 

Cheers

 

 

Maybe you can help me a little further. I am trying to create a workflow like you've explained, but I'm not sure how to replicate the way Alfred searches for Documents by default. Using the filter without any file types specified is, understandably, just like searching with the "open" keyword. However, I don't know what specific file types Alfred searches for with the Documents box checked, so I'm not sure what file types to specify in the File Filter. Do you have any advice?

 

Thanks so much. 

[Tyler Eich]

Maybe you can help me a little further. I am trying to create a workflow like you've explained, but I'm not sure how to replicate the way Alfred searches for Documents by default. Using the filter without any file types specified is, understandably, just like searching with the "open" keyword. However, I don't know what specific file types Alfred searches for with the Documents box checked, so I'm not sure what file types to specify in the File Filter. Do you have any advice?

 

Thanks so much. 

 

You might be interested in the 'kMDItemKind' metadata field. This is the field OS X uses to identify what 'genre' a certain file belongs in. If you tell the Script filter to restrict its search to items whose 'kMDItemKind' is 'Document', you should get document files.

 

Here's a picture to make things clearer:

 

When you click the [+] button, choose 'kMDItemKind'. Then replace the '{query}' text with 'Document'.

 

Cheers